The U.S. Constitution is an important document that defines and outlines the basic laws and rights of American citizens in its seven articles and 27 amendments. It also sets limits on what the government can and cannot do. Completed over 200 years ago, on September 17, 1787, it is the oldest national constitution in the world still in use!
After the leaders of the new United States wrote the Constitution, they had to get the thirteen states to agree to it. Some of the states didn't want to agree unless they could add some specific rights for individual people. So in 1791 the United States added ten new rights to the Constitution. These are called the Bill of Rights.
Activity: Mr. Madison Needs Some Help
Mr. James Madison was sitting at his desk thinking. He had been there for hours, and night was beginning to fall. He lit the brass candlestick next to his inkwell, and a soft yellow glow filled the room. Madison grew tired. But he knew he could not give up until he finished the job. He had to think hard, for America was depending on him.
His job was to make a list of the freedoms and rights Americans valued the most. This list was going to become a part of the U.S. Constitution and would be called the Bill of Rights.
Madison remembered when he had worked on the Constitution. It had been two years since George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and 52 other men from the states gathered in Philadelphia. They had come to plan how the new nation's government should work. They had argued and struggled. Everyone wanted to make sure that the new government would be strong, but no one wanted to be ruled by an unfair authority again. Finally, everyone agreed on the plan. The plan was called the Constitution.
But many people were worried that something was missing from the Constitution. They wanted to make sure that the freedoms and rights Americans had fought for would never be taken away by any government, including our own. Several states decided they would only approve the Constitution if these rights and freedoms were added in the Bill of Rights.
The night grew darker as Madison thought about all the Americans had been through under British Rule. They had been taxed unfairly, told what they could and could not say about the kind, and arrested for even meeting with other patriots. They had been forced to give food and shelter to British soldiers.
He remembered how British soldiers and officers of the king had searched people's homes and taken their belongings without good reason. Some had been arrested and jailed without trial. Others had been put on trial, but not allowed to have a jury decide their case. He knew that Americans had not forgotten what they had fought for, and many wanted to make sure that the new government would never be able to take away their freedoms again.
But what freedoms were the most important? The states had given him hundreds of ideas about what to include in the Bill of Rights. His good friend, Thomas Jefferson, had sent him many letters and books. But now it was all on his shoulders. He had to decide what was important.
The U.S. Constitution is an important document that defines and outlines the basic laws and rights of American citizens in its seven articles and 27 amendments. It also sets limits on what the government can and cannot do. Completed over 200 years ago, on September 17, 1787, it is the oldest national constitution in the world still in use!
After the leaders of the new United States wrote the Constitution, they had to get the thirteen states to agree to it. Some of the states didn't want to agree unless they could add some specific rights for individual people. So in 1791 the United States added ten new rights to the Constitution. These are called the Bill of Rights.
Mr. Madison Needs Some Help
Mr. James Madison was sitting at his desk thinking. He had been there for hours, and night was beginning to fall. He lit the brass candlestick next to his inkwell, and a soft yellow glow filled the room. Madison grew tired. But he knew he could not give up until he finished the job. He had to think hard, for America was depending on him.
His job was to make a list of the freedoms and rights Americans valued the most. This list was going to become a part of the U.S. Constitution and would be called the Bill of Rights.
Madison remembered when he had worked on the Constitution. It had been two years since George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and 52 other men from the states gathered in Philadelphia. They had come to plan how the new nation's government should work. They had argued and struggled. Everyone wanted to make sure that the new government would be strong, but no one wanted to be ruled by an unfair authority again. Finally, everyone agreed on the plan. The plan was called the Constitution.
But many people were worried that something was missing from the Constitution. They wanted to make sure that the freedoms and rights Americans had fought for would never be taken away by any government, including our own. Several states decided they would only approve the Constitution if these rights and freedoms were added in the Bill of Rights.
The night grew darker as Madison thought about all the Americans had been through under British Rule. They had been taxed unfairly, told what they could and could not say about the kind, and arrested for even meeting with other patriots. They had been forced to give food and shelter to British soldiers.
He remembered how British soldiers and officers of the king had searched people's homes and taken their belongings without good reason. Some had been arrested and jailed without trial. Others had been put on trial, but not allowed to have a jury decide their case. He knew that Americans had not forgotten what they had fought for, and many wanted to make sure that the new government would never be able to take away their freedoms again.
But what freedoms were the most important? The states had given him hundreds of ideas about what to include in the Bill of Rights. His good friend, Thomas Jefferson, had sent him many letters and books. But now it was all on his shoulders. He had to decide what was important.
Mr. Madison could use your help.
Instructions & Team Pages